St. Ignatius of Loyola

Homily

St Ignatius of Loyola

July 31

Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding, and my will. All that I have and cherish you have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by your will. Your grace and your love and wealth are enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more. Amen.

This prayer is the evidence that led me to be satisfied with God. It is a description of the epitome of my spiritual life. It is very hard from the very start yet God allows it to happen slowly and tenderly.

Did you ever dare to offer your entire life and being to God?

I was the youngest of the thirteen children, famous, became a soldier of the royal court, appealing to all men and women because I’m wealthy, brave, courageous and full of valor; I knew that most of you, like the same way. Yet in life everything is not all pleasant, during a battle, a cannon ball struck me wounding one of my legs and breaking the other. The leg healed, but I was left with one leg shorter than the other. For the rest of my life I walked with a limp. It is a bad fate everything falls down to nothing. I am now useless, worthless and futile in the eyes of men. You!!! How would you feel if you suffered the same fate like mine? Someone knocks in my vain heart. I never thought that somebody would give attention to my desperate condition. I don’t know Him before. He is Christ, to whom I just knew through the life of great saints which I read during my hopeless state. There began my conversion. It was not an extra ordinary drama or story yet it compels an inspiration, unusual conversion and transformation. How about you my brothers, I’m asking you now; have you already encounter Christ in your journey at this point of time?

I lived in a solitary life, in great austerity within a cave, I spent my time in prayer, engaged myself to spiritual discernment to where I designed my spiritual exercises. I mastered the art of prayer and reflection where I went within the very core of my being allowing God to work within me. To that case I was now known as the master of spiritual retreats. To all what I do I find God in all things. This is a very noble attitude if modern man would obtain this in life, especially at present, where human mind is so engross with earthly evils like hate, greed, pride and lust.

I fed myself with the knowledge of the things of God. I went to universities to enrich more and enhance my understanding of the mysteries of God. Maybe this is also my invitation to all of you, not just be contented with our present knowledge but to have a continued search and discovery of God in our life. Now a days, it seems that man is deeply absorb by acquiring knowledge for the well being of his life but not for the means of saving his soul. Come to think of that brothers, maybe tomorrow will be too late.

Along with my own journey, I had friends who followed me. We established a group in which life will be focused in preaching Christ to every point of the world. A society that would spread the good news about Jesus and its motto is “"Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam,"--to the greater glory of God.

This was the life I lived. This was the fate I tracked. This is the design that God intended in my life. I surrendered everything and I cherished all that I received.

I thought I’m a loser, a coward, and worthless brat because of my futile condition. A lame, a hobble, totter individual who cannot defend oneself in times of difficulties. But God changed Inigo Lopez de Onez Loyola into St. Ignatius of Loyola- a man of spiritual braveness and valor.

Lord Jesus, I ask for nothing more. Amen